LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The California Highway Patrol said that there has been a drop in vehicle thefts across the state over the past year.
After back-to-back annual increases in the number of vehicle thefts, California reversed course in 2017, the CHP said.
The 6.2-percent decline in vehicle theft statewide is the largest decrease since 2014, and may be attributed to the advances in anti-theft technology, aggressive police work and the public’s vigilance, the agency reported.
“Although the overall number of vehicles stolen is down, there is still much more work to be done,” said California Highway Patrol Commissioner Warren Stanley. “Law enforcement can’t solve the problem alone. The CHP will continue to partner with local law enforcement on vehicle theft task forces to combat auto theft in California and asks the public to do its part.”
In 2017, 175,351 vehicles were taken by thieves, at an estimated total value of approximately $1.3 billion, the CHP said.
The CHP said that one vehicle was stolen every three minutes in California in 2017.
The report showed that, of the vehicles stolen in 2017, 53.5 percent were automobiles, 35.6 percent were personal trucks and sport utility vehicles, 4.6 percent were commercial trucks and
trailers, and 4.6 percent were motorcycles.
All other vehicles – recreational vehicles, construction and farm equipment and special construction – accounted for 1.7 percent of thefts, the CHP said.
The 1998 Honda Civic was the No. 1 most stolen vehicle statewide, with Honda CRVs the most stolen personal truck or SUV, while 2016 model year Yamaha motorcycles and late model Freightliner commercial trucks topping their respective categories.
Of the 175,351 vehicles stolen statewide in 2017, the CHP said 89.6 percent – or 157,183 – were recovered.
The CHP said 95.4 percent of the automobiles, 50.4 percent of the motorcycles, 92.2 percent of the personal trucks and sport utility vehicles, and 81.1 percent of the commercial trucks were recovered.
Of the vehicles recovered statewide, 65.9 percent were recovered intact and in drivable condition, 3.1 percent were missing major components, 9.5 percent were stripped of minor parts, and 21.5 percent were intentionally burned and/or wrecked. Less than one half percent of the thefts were considered cargo theft only, according to the report.
Although decreases were noted in many of California’s largest counties, many smaller, rural counties saw increases in vehicle theft.
That was the case in Lake County in 2017, based on the data.
In 2016, Lake County had 280 vehicle thefts. That rose to 281 in 2017, the CHP reported.
Of those, 231 stolen vehicles were recovered in 2016 and 222 in 2017, according to the data.
Officer Kory Reynolds of the CHP’s Clear Lake Area office said that Lake County doesn’t have chop shops or people looking for specific models and types of cars.
He said the thefts in Lake County are primarily the result of opportunity – such as keys being left in the car.
“We’re not dealing with people who are walking around with car theft tools,” Reynolds said.
He said the law also has changed so that a person who is loaned a vehicle and who fails to return it also can be charged with theft.
At one point stolen vehicles in Lake County were commonly recovered in Vacaville, with a number of vehicles stolen from Vacaville also found here, said Reynolds, explaining that it was suspected that those vehicles were being used in drug trafficking.
Hondas are still one of the popular cars to steal locally, Reynolds said.
He said the CHP commonly recovers stolen vehicles in the hills above Nice and Lucerne.
This reporter found an abandoned Honda in a creek in the Lucerne hills in March. Reynolds confirmed it was a vehicle stolen from Clearlake in 2016.
The CHP said top autos stolen last year were 1998 and 2000 model year Honda Civics and the 1997 Honda Accord. For pickups and SUVs, Hondas again were popular, specifically, CRVs for model years 1998, 1999 and 2001.
For commercial trucks, Freightliners – for model years 2011, 2012 and 2016 – were the most stolen, and for motorcycles, Yamahas for model years 2015 and 2016, and Suzukis for 2007 were in the top three, the CHP said.
The report said 51.5 percent of all thefts occurred in Southern California, 16.9 percent in the San Francisco Bay, 13.4 percent in the Central Valley and 18.2 percent throughout the remainder of California.
As one of the most populous states in the nation, with the highest numbers of registered automobiles, California sits at the top of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s list of states with the most vehicles stolen in a calendar year, the CHP said.
Based on CHP data, a vehicle is stolen every three minutes in California.
To assist drivers in keeping their vehicles safe, the CHP offers the following tips:
– Park in well-lit, secure, or highly visible locations.
– Lock vehicle doors and close windows.
– Use an alarm system.
– Do not leave a vehicle unattended with its engine running.
– Never leave valuable items in plain sight.
– Report suspicious activity to law enforcement.
“Vehicle theft is a crime of opportunity; do not make it easy for a thief to gain access to your vehicle,” said Commissioner Stanley. “A little bit of prevention will go a long way.”
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
CHP says vehicle theft trend reverses across California; slight uptick seen in Lake County
- Elizabeth Larson
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